install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install crossplane

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add crossplane

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · crossplane · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#crossplane

nixpkgs package indexes · crossplane · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install crossplane-cli

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · crossplane-cli · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id Crossplane.CrossplaneCli -e

Windows Package Manager source index · Crossplane.CrossplaneCli · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Build control planes without needing to write code

Project links

Commands and aliases

crossplane

history

Project history and usage

The Homebrew `crossplane` formula packages the Crossplane CLI, the command-line companion to the Crossplane cloud-native control plane framework. The CLI is used for Crossplane development and administration rather than as the Crossplane controller itself.

Project history

Crossplane was created by Upbound as an open source framework for building Kubernetes-style control planes. CNCF records Crossplane's project path as accepted on June 25, 2020, moved to Incubating on September 14, 2021, and Graduated on October 28, 2025.

The standalone Crossplane CLI repository describes the tool as a single binary for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Its v2-era command set focuses on platform and package work: building, installing, updating, and pushing packages; building projects; rendering and testing composition functions; and troubleshooting Crossplane resources.

Adoption history

Crossplane's own adopters file lists organizations using it for internal developer platforms, cloud management, and infrastructure provisioning, including Upbound, Renault, SAP, NASA Science Cloud, Nike, Elastic, and many others. That public adopter list made Crossplane important to package managers because the CLI became a local workstation tool for a production Kubernetes control-plane ecosystem.

How it is used

The CLI is installed on a user's computer and most commands are independent of direct access to a Crossplane pod. Some commands still depend on local platform tools, such as a Docker-compatible container runtime for rendering composition functions and building projects.

In package-manager terms, the CLI turns Crossplane from only a cluster-side controller into a local developer tool: users can install it with Homebrew, Winget, Nix, APK, or distribution packages and use it in CI or workstation workflows around Crossplane packages.

Why package nerds care

Crossplane is significant because it brings cloud infrastructure management into Kubernetes APIs and package-like control-plane components. The CLI's packaging matters for repeatable platform engineering workflows, especially where teams build and distribute Crossplane packages rather than only applying YAML to a cluster.

Timeline

2020: Crossplane accepted to CNCF
2021: Crossplane moved to CNCF Incubating
2025: Crossplane moved to CNCF Graduated
2026: Crossplane CLI v2.4.0 release

Related projects

The CLI is part of the Crossplane ecosystem alongside the crossplane/crossplane core project, Crossplane Packages, Composition Functions, Kubernetes, and the CNCF project infrastructure.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.kube/config

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.kube/config

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`crossplane`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2.4.0

manager updated2026-06-24

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.4.0

https://github.com/crossplane/cli

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:crossplane
Version	2.4.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/crossplane
Homepage	https://github.com/crossplane/cli
Repository	https://github.com/crossplane/cli
Upstream docs	https://docs.crossplane.io/latest/cli
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/crossplane/cli/archive/refs/tags/v2.4.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-24T22:00:51Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	go
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	crossplane
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

crossplane

nix profile install nixpkgs#crossplane

normalized package name match
Matched by: Crossplane

nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: crossplane from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

apk95%

crossplane 0.5.8-r4

Quick and reliable way to convert NGINX configurations into JSON and back.

https://github.com/nginxinc/crossplane/

sudo apk add crossplane

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: crossplane
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Crossplane

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crossplane from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

crossplane-pyc 0.5.8-r4

Precompiled Python bytecode for crossplane

https://github.com/nginxinc/crossplane/

sudo apk add crossplane-pyc

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: crossplane
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Crossplane

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crossplane-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

zypper95%

crossplane-cli 2.3.1-1.1

The Cloud Native Control Plane

https://github.com/crossplane/cli

sudo zypper install crossplane-cli

License: Apache-2.0
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: crossplane-cli
1 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Crossplane

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: crossplane-cli from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

winget95%

Crossplane.CrossplaneCli

winget install --id Crossplane.CrossplaneCli -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Crossplane

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: Crossplane.CrossplaneCli from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/crossplane.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install crossplane with Homebrew, apk, Nix, winget, zypper